New High-Speed Quantum Encryption Could Thwart Hackers: Study

Scientists have developed a high-speed encryption system that can protect against the common security attacks, even if the equipment has flaws that could make it vulnerable to leaks. The system is capable of distributing encryption codes at megabit-per-second rates, five to 10 times faster than existing methods and on par with current Internet speeds when running several systems in parallel. In a study, published in the journal Science Advances, the researchers demonstrate that the technique is secure from common attacks, even in the face of equipment flaws that could open up leaks.…

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US Senate Panel Releases Draft of Controversial Encryption Bill

Two US senators on Wednesday issued a formal draft of a controversial bill that would give courts the power to order technology companies like Apple to help authorities break into encrypted devices or communications for law enforcement or intelligence purposes. The proposal arrives just days after an earlier draft leaked online and drew fire from security researchers and civil liberties advocates who warned it would undermine Internet security and expose personal data to hackers. Those same groups on Wednesday said the new draft is little different from the leaked version.…

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White House Declines to Support Encryption Legislation: Reports

The White House is declining to offer public support for draft legislation that would empower judges to require technology companies such as Apple Inc to help law enforcement crack encrypted data, sources familiar with the discussions said. The decision all but assures that the years-long political impasse over encryption will continue even in the wake of the high-profile effort by the Department of Justice to force Apple to break into an iPhoneused by a gunman in last December’s shootings in San Bernardino, California. President Obama suggested in remarks last month…

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Apple Encryption Engineers, if Ordered to Unlock iPhone, Might Resist

If the FBI wins its court fight to force Apple’s help in unlocking an iPhone, the agency may run into yet another roadblock: Apple’s engineers. Apple employees are discussing what they will do if ordered to help law enforcement authorities. Some say they may balk at the work, while others may even quit their high-paying jobs rather than undermine the security of the software they have created, according to more than a half-dozen current and former Apple employees. Among those interviewed were Apple engineers who are involved in the development…

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Apple Encryption Fight Could Escalate With Demand for ‘Source Code’

The latest filing in the legal war between the planet’s most powerful government and its most valuable company gave one indication of how the high-stakes confrontation could escalate even further. In what observers of the case called a carefully calibrated threat, the US Justice Department last week suggested that it would be willing to demand that Apple turn over the “source code” that underlies its products as well as the so-called “signing key” that validates software as coming from Apple. Together, those two things would give the government the power…

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Apple’s Battle With FBI Underscores Android’s Poor State of Encryption: Report

Google CEO Sundar Pichai last month backed Apple in its ongoing fight with FBI over encryption. While privacy advocates welcomed Pichai’s stand on supporting Apple, they are still concerned about the poor state of encryption on Android devices. According to estimates, fewer than 10 percent of Android phones are encrypted. If San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook was using an Android phone, FBI may have closed the case within hours without much assistance from Google. The reason is simple: most Android phones aren’t as secure as an iPhone. In fact,…

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